Watch TV on the go with Dialog MyTV

So I was going through some of the old unread feeds in my Google Reader and came across this post by Mayooresan on Dialog’s MyTV service. Had heard of MyTV, but didn’t have a time to try this out earlier.

I started off by sending an SMS saying ‘MYTV’ (w/o quotes) to 678. It replied me back with a link to download the MyTV app. Actually it was a link to an apk file, so you have to have ticked the Unknown Sources option in Applications Settings. (I’m talking about the android app here.)

The MyTV app lists the available TV channels divided into several categories. The choice of channels isn’t commendable, but it included many of my personal favorites.

Main menuChannel categoriesEntertainment categoryKids categoryPayment options

Simply select the channel you wish to play. If you haven’t subscribed to the particular package that channel belongs to already, it presents you with an options screen. The gold package, which lets you watch many local channels and a few int’l ones like Al Jazeera, costs Rs 3.33 per day or Rs 100 per month (plus taxes, of course). Once you subscribe to a package, you can watch any channel that belongs to the package before its expiration.

To activate the Platinum package, you need to have activated the Gold package first. You can also pay in a per-channel basis for the channels in this Platinum pack.

A comprehensive list of the available channels and their charges can be found here.

No data charges!
You won’t be charged for the data you stream, contrary to what Mayu says in his post. I verified this from two different sources. All it costs you is what you pay to activate the relevant packages.

Be wary though, the packages automatically renew after they’re expired. If you don’t want this to happen, make sure you manually unsubscribe from each package in Settings before logging out.

A little more than 1MB had been downloaded per minute during the streaming. The quality isn’t spectacular, but I guess it’s optimized for the mobile network, so that’s okay.

Here’s a low-quality, no-sound video of Cartoon Network being played on MyTV. Was too bored to create a better quality one. 😛 Mayu has uploaded his own vid in his post.

17 responses on “Watch TV on the go with Dialog MyTV

    1. thameera

      I watched for about 20-30 mins and didn’t have a single interruption. Once in a while it said that it’s unable to start the channel, but trying again seemed to work. Anyway that happened only when trying to connect to the channel, not during the streaming.

  1. Nayana sri

    Hi, did customer care agent told you about there are no other fees? Cos the web site faq says different.
    See; http://www.dialog.lk/faq/how-will-i-get-charged/

    ” If you activate MyTV service, Rs. 300 rental will be charged monthly and you have unlimited access (no usage charge) to all streaming content hosted by Dialog.
    If not a MyTV user, no monthly rental charge and standard usage charges (per kilobyte charge as per the activated data package) will apply for all streaming content. ”

    I couldn’t decide which to believe. We are talking about Dialog Telekom after all nuh 😉 Its impossible that they have offered something this cheap 🙂

    1. thameera

      Hmm, that faq doesn’t mention about daily packages. I confirmed from a person in Dialog that if you subscribe to the daily packages you’re charged only that daily fee and you won’t be charged for the streaming content.

  2. Wingnut

    Dialog is one of the leading Mobile service provider in Sri-Lanka.
    I was really surprised at how low they stooped, they blatantly steal money.
    My story in short:
    After about a week of using Dialog MSP, I got a strange message from Gamesclub saying that I have been subscribed to their service and WILL be charged 20Rs daily + tax.
    OK, 20 rupee is nothing BUT I never subscribed to any stupid games, they just subscribed me automatically.
    I found Gamesclub page on the Dialog’s official website and the only option to unsubscribe is to
    “To unsubscribe please visit http://www.gamesclub.mobi and click on the Unsubscribe link.”
    The web address did not work. Surprise! So they automatically subsribed me to some paid bullshit games service and left me no option to unsubscribe.
    I went to their office in Hikkaduwa and they unsubscribed me from Gamesclub.
    A week later I got another message from “MYTV”: “You are subscribed to Gold Month Pack (auto-renewing) with 30 days validity. You will be charged 100.0 + tax”
    Needless to say I have never subscribed to any bullshit TV. I do not watch TV. At all.
    So now I got ripped off 100 rupees + tax with autorebill. Again no valid option to unsubscribe!
    I went to their office again. I complained that I have been charged for a service I never subscribed to and have never used. They unsubscribed me from MYTV but refused to return me the money they’ve charged.
    They told me that it must have been me subscribing and fogetting. Cmon guys I’m and IT specialist. Subscribed and forgot! Twice! GFO, to me this means stealing.
    Yet they accepted my complaint and said that if they find out that the subscription was automatic they will get my money back. Haha, Santa Claus is real too.
    To me the only thing I can do is NOT TO KEEP ANY MONEY on my number. And post this scam report so people know the thieves.
    DO NOT KEEP any substantional money on your phone number. It will get stolen my Dialog. When you get subscribed, GO TO THEIR OFFICE AND COMPLAIN.
    I can see their point though. A lot of tourists coume here for a week or two and buy local SIM. When they leave they just toss the SIM and forget about any remaining rupee. This money must seem safe for Dialog to take.
    They just subscribe you to some daily package which will eventually eat your money to zero and then they will block your number and resell it to someone else.
    Makes sense, right?
    If you have any question or want proof of any kind(I still have all the messages) just call 0766976190

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